Armed Forces Retirement Home

The Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH), formerly the U.S. Soldiers' and Airmen's Home, the U.S. Soldiers' Home, and the U.S. Military Asylum, is an independent establishment in the executive branch of the federal government of the United States. It now operates two retirement homes for American military veterans — the historic Soldiers' Home in northeast Washington, D.C. and a home in Gulfport, Mississippi, just west of Keesler Air Force Base.

The U.S. Soldiers' and Airmen's Home

Scott Building

The Soldiers' Home occupies a campus in N.W. Washington, D.C.. It sits adjacent to two historic cemeteries, Rock Creek Cemetery and United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery (the forerunner of Arlington National Cemetery).

History

The Soldiers Home was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1851 following the Mexican-American War. Its purpose was to provide a place of retirement for U.S. servicemen. The project came to fruition largely due to the efforts of Major Robert Anderson, Jefferson Davis, (at that time Secretary of War), and General Winfield Scott. These three men wanted to provide a secure and honorable place for retirement for homeless and disabled war veterans. All Service members (excluding officers) currently have 50 Cents deducted from their respective monthly pay to help fund the AFRH

Notable buildings

The Soldiers' Home has had many interesting historic buildings, some of which survive to the present day:

• Anderson Cottage

Main article: President Lincoln's Cottage

Built initially in 1843 by the banker George Washington Riggs as a summer cottage for his family, it was a part of the first parcel acquired by the U.S. Military Asylum. Renamed Anderson Cottage for co-founder Major Robert Anderson it housed the first residents of the home. It is now known as President Lincoln's Cottage. The brick house has a stucco exterior.

• Scott Building

Begun in 1852 and completed in the 1890s, Scott Building is named for General Winfield Scott. The initial design for the building was in the Norman Gothic style. It housed 100-200 residents. Its castellated clock tower was used as a watch tower during the American Civil War, especially during General Jubal Early's raid on nearby Fort Stevens.

• Sherman Building

Built by Barton S. Alexander, the Sherman Building is connected to the Scott Building by a central annex. Its exterior is unfinished white marble.

• Stanley Hall

Built in 1897, this was a recreation center and is now the Home's Chapel.

• Sheridan Building

This building, begun in 1883, was built as a dormitory. It has three stories and is built of red brick.

• Grant Building

Begun in 1911, the Grant Building was built as a barracks, mess hall, and recreation center.

The Gulfport campus

The new Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport in 2010

The Gulfport campus was severely damaged in 2005, hundreds of veterans that lived at the AFRH-G facility were evacuated and relocated after the destructive winds and storm surge of Hurricane Katrina forced the closure of their home in August 2005. In September 2007, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced the award to Yates Construction of Biloxi, Mississippi of a design-build contract to replace the damaged 13-story building. The contract was for $189 million dollars, with most of the funding being appropriated by Public Law 109-234.

The damaged building was demolished in October 2007. A new building was built and re-opened on October 4, 2010.

The new facility features private, air-conditioned single rooms, bowling alley, swimming pool, balconies and a walkway overpass that crosses US Highway 90 onto the Beach. Average room size is approximately 450 square feet (42 m²) of living space plus a bathroom, shower and closet. The AFRH provides each resident with a bed, night stand, armoire, dining table with chairs, love seat, and lounge chair. Personal furnishings such as computers, computer desk and microwaves are allowed.

Each room is wired for cable and telephone, which if desired, must be paid for by the resident.

References

• American Institute of Architects, A Guide to the Architecture of Washington. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1965.
• Forman, Stephen M., A Guide to Civil War Washington. Washington, D.C.: Elliott and Clark, 1995.
• Washington, D.C.: The A Guide to the Nation's Capital, Revised edition, Randall Bond Truett, Editor. New York: Hastings House, 1968.

External links

• AFRH website
• Gulf Coast News Sep 2006 article on the future for the Gulfport MS AFRH [1]
• Steve Phillips (April 23, 2009). "Progress evident at new Armed Forces Retirement Home". WLOX. http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=10239088&nav=menu40_2. Retrieved 2009=04-27.